Saturday, December 24, 2011

I just want to thank you everyone who put a good use of my Christmas Mail Tags printable, either you downloaded it last year or this year, I am really happy to bring extra smiles upon your gifts. I have seen it repin-ed again and again on pinterest, God bless all you pinners, and recently, darling Anna sent me a picture of her gifts using the tags!! It really has made my day waaaay brighter than ever!

Monday, December 19, 2011

..tied up with strings are seriously one of my favorite things in the world. I sometimes don't care what's inside I just want to cherish the crisp brown paper and the strings as long as I could. When this gift giving holiday coming, I can't think of a better way to wrap presents.

Thank goodness I'm such a dweller on wedding blogs (yeah, yeah, I had my wedding, and not planning to have the second one, but I can't resist) I found all these wrapping ideas at emmaline bride. Go have a visit for more ideas! I think they''re mighty suitable for holiday too!

Monday, December 12, 2011

...Babalisme's annual holiday printable is here!! this year I'm giving away a nativity scene for you to play. I am guest blogging at Design Dazzle for this one as a part of Toni's 100 Ideas of Christmas Wonderful, so grab your copy there by Design Dazzle! Here's a sneak peak..

Toni has also test drove the printables on a cookie sheet and using magnet paper for the dolls! Here's how it looks :

Please don't stop on making the dolls purely as dolls. Hang them on a tree, use them as gift tags, or create your own modification!

So what are you planning for this holiday? How do you decorate this year? Please share!

And do share your own nativity scene printable if you happen to play with it :D

Monday, December 5, 2011

all pictures are taken by me and please do ask for permission to share/(noncommercial) use.

Last month, one of my dearest friend, who lived in the States was finally home for after 5 years abroad. We emailed frantically before her flight to Indonesia, and she asked me, "Would you like to get something from here?" And I answered without a doubt, "Striped paper straws!" She was bewildered, thought I might ask for something more... pricier or fancier? We LOLed about that till now, how I see the exaggerated beauty of striped paper straws or being a "paper straw nerd". So here I am, the nerd, giving you the lesson, on why paper straws are really pretty, functional, and underrated. *cough* ahem. Let's begin Paper Straw 101

The number one reason you've got to love them, is they are pretty cheap and add a dash to your purpose; party, baking, or craft, quite easily too, without any cratfing skill or whatsoever needed. You are also saving the earth if you choose to use paper straws instead of their plastic counterpart. I've been a user of plastic straws my whole life, and my sole fear of using paper straws would be the liquid bleeding through or it gets mushy after it soaked -or sipped- long enough. Read this for I tested it myself : it's not regular paper and as long as you're not chewing it like crazy, the paper is very well sturdy. I soaked mine for 24 hours non stop then it's finally to grow limp a little. Your party wouldn't last that long, isn't it?

My friend bought these via Bake Sweet Etsy, and according to the seller, they are made in USA, made by 100% recycled paper, bio-degradable, free of bleach and chlorine, and an FDA approved ink for the stripes. I told my friend to purchase from ebay or amazon instead, but she said that the lower prize might not bear the same quality and spesification, and since this is a "paper" straw you'd stuck in your mouth and your drink/food, I'd better stick with the higher quality instead. But the choice depends on your purpose, though. These are the paper straw up close. Pretty neat,eh? You can't barely seen the overlapping paper here. No leakage!

Technical things : covered! Now let's move our lesson to a more exciting part. Decorating with paper straws!! They come in every prints and colors, my friend only bought me stripes one, so I'll mention them with the colors only from now. If you are, like me, captivated with all the colors available, do stick to classic primary hues. Like this red, for instance.

But don't count out un-popular colors too, like this one in gray. I think they are really understated, it's one of my favorite colors, and to achieve manly, grown up, or neutral theme party, this one is a must!

Gray alone could be used in a baby elephant themed, baby whale, grown up halloween, rustic chic, baby hippo, any white related theme (to add dimension, there's no white striped straws is there?), rock and roll, vintage, and so on. See? It's not lesser than red in theme count.

And paper straws can also be used outside drinking matters. Don't believe me, check out this links provided from the craftiest people in the blogosphere :

See? Don't you love paper straws by now? Do tell me your ideas or link, and share me your ideas on how to use lovely, practical paper straws!

BTW, If you happen to live in Indonesia, my friend bought me too many, so if you'd like to get your hands on these paper straws yourself, please email me. I got the paper straws in these colors, although they are not in the same quantity :

light gray

bright red

lime green

navy blue

pastel yellow

pastel pink

pastel green

pastel blue

Be promptly quick! These are running out of my hands very fast! For those of you who live in US, Europe, or AUS do check out Etsy, Amazon, or Ebay, those are a great source of paper straws stock!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Like Ernie of Sesame Street, I do have a thing or two about rubber duckies. They utterly cute and happen to bear one of my favorite color, yellow!! And they squeak! I don't own a bath tub now and I certainly miss taking a bath with those guys.

thank you Amesh for taking a picture of babalisme printables with your favor goodies!!

If you're a fan of the duck like me, check out a rubber ducky theme party hosted by Dreamesh for her son's 3rd birthday! It's a splash and get wet outdoor party, good thing to be Indonesians is you can host a summer-y party at any time of the year, and everyone seems to have a splashing good time!

Happy birthday, Yuara, and congratulations, *cough* an expecting mother, Amesh for throwing out such a great day! Yuara, enjoy your last moments of having your mom and dad solely for you. *evil laugh* just kidding. I know you'll be a good brother, Yuara.

On the side note, the winner for kyandkin giveaway is allwiredup! Congrats, Dee!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Hello, folks, did you miss me? I think this year is my busiest to date, I have been on blog absents for most of the time, I'm so sorry! Not to worry, today's about good news only.

*fanfare*

I'm going to announce the winner of Cloud Street Lab giveaway! Thank you for all of you who came to participate and join the fun. If you don't win this time, you still have the chance to enter my other giveaway with goodies from kyandkin. Don't forget to increase your chances with additional entries! Soooo, about the winner..

And for you, my lovely readers, there are lots and lots of Christmas ideas right here, so stay tune, everyone. Also, babalisme will be participating in Christmas Wonderful event at designdazzle ; 100+ craft ideas and 30+ blogs from all around the world pitching in for a wonderful, crafty, and even edible Christmas projects. Don't you dare miss it!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Halloween is approaching! yaaaay! I'm going as Tintin this year, and Baby G as Snowy, Tintin's dog. My husband is not dressing up, but I secretly wish he would be my Captain Haddock.

Today's post is about Halloween decorating though. Lots of my reader been asking on how to celebrate Halloween in not too scary nor too kiddy atmosphere. Indi, here, would like to decorate her parent's house, and as fellow Indonesian, I'd really, really know how conservative things get around here. A friendly smiling skeleton would be considered outrageous. So here are some tips for you if you wish to celebrate Halloween, without the ghouls and witches.

Mandatory rules : no spooky creatures and/or animals, fictional or not. If you thirst for blood and gore, ignore this post.

Think of a not too scary theme, obviously. Think : Harry Potter potion class, not Saw nor Frankenstein. This arrangement by Martha Stewart is a perfect example. You get the mood of curious glass specimens, but not too hair raising as in a siamese twin fetus jar.

Going for classic literature this year? Think subtle gothic theme, like Poe's Raven instead of Stoker's Dracula. I found BrooklynLimestone's Raven themed dinner party decor is breathtaking but none bone chilling. Visit them for DIY dinner ware! See? No blood in sight!

Think outside of the box, in this case, pumpkins. Give your orange buddy a rest and arrange some flowers instead. Before you say that I am talking about the wrong holiday, take a look at this very fine example by OneCharmingParty. Pick your flower in a Halloween color scheme. For a grown up party, take white or purple ones or neutrals like grayish green. If you want to bring out some oranges without the pumpkin, pick an orange or yellowish colored blooms. Decorate with monochrome vases. Tin can such as the pic works well, but I think vintage-y gothic vases work well too. Be sure to contrast the pairing; black or dark flower go with opaque white vases, white flower, black vases. Don't mix white flowers with glass jars or white vase or it'll scream "I do" instead of "boo".

If you must, MUST, use pumpkins, please don't carve faces on them. For chic effect do paint, tie a bow, hang a tag, scribble your pumpkins in every possible way you can think of. Damask for pumpkins? Now that's what I call trendy. PaperCraftConnection will show you how and inspirations. Think Audrey Hepburn chic, not Morticia.

My final advise, think of Halloween as your un-holiday decor. Think of a color scheme of black and orange instead of vampires and werewolves. It does makes decorating easier if you stick to a color scheme instead of sticking to a theme. You've probably seen it everywhere, but Amy Atlas' pure genius (not evil genius) dessert tables spell C-H-I-C along the way. She showed the way to use color scheme perfectly, black and purple, traditional orange and neutral.

I hope you're inspired (and motivated. *now get out of your screen and get decorating*)!! What are you dressing up as this Halloween or how do you decor your house this year? Do share!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Again, another giveaway to indulge this month! kyandkin is Heather and her two daugthers : kylie and kinley, hence the name of the shop, obviously. And today she's in the mood of giving away of her handmade comfy leggings in winner's choice of color! Isn't that amazing? Yes, you can win your own custom made pair of leggings!

If you love form and function equally, you'll love kyandkin. You know if you shop for toddlers clothing, you can't really abandon comfort and safety. I live in Indonesia, hot and humid, yet I (and my Baby G) is totally in love with kyandkin nightgown. They're 100% cotton, so soft, comfy, and she's not having rash or red elastic marks on her skin. If you love details, you love kyandkin more. Don't believe me? oh, you got to see the handmade packaging she does, it's very intimate, it's like it's really specially made for you, it literally IS sewn to your order, but, you know, there's just a huge difference between carrying a paper/plastic bag from the shop complete with price tags and getting your clothing sewn and folded in a handsewn fabric bag.

Also the same Q&A applies to all my giveaway hosts! Here's Heather's...

My biggest hindrance in crafting/designing is finding time sometimes, it's difficult sometimes with 2 little ones running around, BUT it works out, for now, most of the time - lucky me!

Crafting/Designing projects that I am most proud of when I was a kid is pretty much anything, I love to create. there's a sense of accomplishment with any craft once I complete it.

The harshest criticism/ insult that I have ever received about my craft/design works is haven't received any thus far...

If I were an animal, I'd like to be a bird...would be neat to fly for just a bit :)

If I were about to lose one of my five senses I'd rather it'd be my taste, all the others I wouldn't want to take away, seeing that I love to see, smell, hear and hug my little girls!

I'd mostly get awarded for craftsmanship, taking my time with pieces

If you could choose a celebrity for a sibling, it'd be jennifer aniston, I love her personality, and her style!

THE GIVEAWAY!

So you want to win a pair of custom made leggings on your color of choice? Read on.

How to enter :

Please be a follower of my blog (clickety click the GFC corner there) AND name 1 favorite item from the shop.

I will pick 1 winner with random. org. and the winner will be mailed by Nov 28th, 2010 at 14.00 my time (same day 07.00 GMT). So please, be sure to leave your email. Giveaway opens to US readers and international ones too if you agree to cover the shipping fees.

Additional entries :

*each task gain you +1 entry and mention as separate comment with your link or name as proof*

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

As I promised, giveaway galore, everyone! First up, CloudStreetLab is generously giving away 5 products from her her shop for 5 - FIVE (5!!) winners!

CloudStreetLab is a design and illustration house based at Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Built from love of experimentation and huge dream, CloudStreetLab is consisting of Ilma and Azam. the duo is currently opened the shop at Etsy for easy, affordable cliparts. Their products include the best selling robot cliparts, ultra cute Halloween themed cliparts, and my personal favorite, the Monster Creator Kit! All of which is very suitable for a kiddie Halloween party! You can found out more about them at their lovely website or say hello to their blog.

If you want to find out more about CloudStreetLab I have kinda interviewed them..

This one is Ilma ..

My biggest hindrance(s) in crafting/designing is/are procrastination.

Crafting/Designing projects that I am most proud of when I was a kid is my 'Reog' drawing. I won a gold medal for that. :D

The harshest criticism/ insult that I have ever received about my craft/design works is a laugh. A laugh can be harsh, sometimes. :)

If I were an animal, I'd like to be a bird, because I can visit different places and countries without spending my savings!

If I were about to lose one of my five senses I'd rather it'd be my smell.

I'd mostly get awarded for the clumsiest person. I often drop and break things, hit a wall while walking, lost important items :D

If you could choose a celebrity for a sibling, it'd be Rafael Nadal. He's such a nice and talented person.

..and Azam's ..

Crafting/Designing projects that I am most proud of when I was a kid is my comic

The harshest criticism/ insult that I have ever received about my craft/design works is "You're so impatient. An artist must take his/her time in making artwork."

If I were an animal, I'd like to be--recently--an ape (because I can make a revolution and build my own planet)

If I were about to lose one of my five senses I'd rather it'd be my touch.

Gain 5 extra entries if you purchase from CloudStreeLab during the giveaway. Mention with your etsy name in 5 separate comments.

If you can't wait for your cliparts, head over to CloudStreetLab blog. They're giving away free cliparts like the one pictured above (perfect for autumn garland). Do share your pictures if you used them! Comment away, folks! QUICK, the monsters waiting!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Halloween is just 2 weeks away! I'm so excited! If only I could decorated our doorways and lanes with paper tombstones and plastic skeletons without getting myself burnt at stakes. Sigh. I always envy you guys who can celebrate Halloween in the open. Heck, I can always celebrate with you guys, online! Halloween party printables here FREE for you all these 2 weeks (pssst. Giveaway(s) too...)

One of my reader, Sarah, asked for a not too kiddie Halloween theme like I have always done but not slasher movie material either. So...inspired by this, I think I'd share a photo props that is both safe for children but doesn't felt too childish for a grown up Halloween gathering.

Do cut along the dotted lines and don't forget to attach both temples to your "boo!". I initialized the "boo!" to fit with A4 printing paper, but do adjust the print size to your ..er... head or heads. For example, a 80% printed "boo!" suit 7 years old well. Or if your head is as huge as a pumpkin, print at 120%.

Lastly, download, enjoy, and do share your pics!

*** October 2013 update : I'm expiring the Scribd uploaded link and move the file to Google docs, which is user friendly and more awesome, so click away on the newly updated link. It will take you to the google docs site! Or Visit this post for a full list of my Halloween printables. Thank you! ***

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Greetings folks! I can believe it's October already! I thought I was just celebrating new year 2011!

I was out of town for several weeks and I was really lost in (internet) connection. So pardon my blog break. I'm back now and ready to give you more ideas and fun this October. *wink* Giveaways (yes, plural) included, so stay tuned.

While I'm saying hello, here's a reminder of Halloween fun at babalisme you can download for free!

This year, I was thinking of a grown up Halloween party printable since lots here are suitable for kids (those who are in their hearts). So maybe less orange, more black and ghoulish? What do you think? Do you prefer kiddie theme printable or grown up this year? Vote!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Hi there, long time no blog. I guess getting used to blogger new layout took me some time. Gee, how old I am! Today I'll be answering to the most frequently asked question landed on my email by you, awesome readers, second to how Scribd works, "What's your personal style like?" or "Can you blog an outfit post?" or "Are you even dressed up everyday or do you blog nekid (naked, LOL, I know it's still pronounced the same but why with this spelling?)" I'm going to answer the nekid one first : um, not literally dressed up but not naked either.

It's not a surprise that these questions arise, since I think 70% of Indonesian blogs are about fashion/personal style. And each craft and/or parenting blogger had also at least one outfit post, so many of you think I should come up with this. But to tell you the truth at this point I'm not really into outfit post, because : I'm not really camera ready, REALLY. I'm beyond awkward when it comes to posing. But do I interested in fashion? Yes I do!

What about personal style? Let me do a quick trivia about my personal style :

I never wear fur. I live in a tropical town, it'd be suicidal to even consider one.

Nor do I lounge around everyday in bikinis or summer floral prints. Please stop imagining that all people in tropical lands dressed the same way as tourists everyday.

I don't have a favorite or taboo color in fashion. I love them all!

If I must live with only one fashion staple let it be a slightly over-sized crisp white shirt and a pair of good fitting jeans. OK, I cheated, that's two items.

I have a common obsession for shoes; flats, boots, wedges, heels, pumps, you name it.. I ain't gonna kid myself and deny it. There.

I have my own Hermes Birkin dilemma; it's the queen bee of all designer's bags, perfectly sized, great investment, classically designed, outstanding choice of colors and materials, shortly: I will never got bored with it. Yes, it's totally pricey, but the price tag aside; everybody else is wearing it. I'm not so sure whether I want one or not based on that fact alone.

I luuuurve my waist. I'm a curvy girl in pear so I'm naturally more attracted to vintage cutting than modern one. I love seeing modern cut on everyone else, but it just doesn't work for me.

So I think that's all I can share for now. Please do tell me what is your numero uno personal style rule?

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

I once read an article in an interior magazine that a bulky furniture is not recommended to be put in a room, unless, it's a storage room. Also the concept of a house/ a room within the real house or the room itself can also make your actual space look even smaller. But I think when it comes to kids' room, the only rule that should apply is : Imagination.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Hiya everyone! I'm back from a short trip and my do I feel recharged inside and physically exhausted at the same time! When I'm away I heard so many of you asking for this card in a more neutral mood. SO here it is everyone, the card in all occasion greetings. "thank you" and "best wishes". Kinda like 2 phrases in life you should have said the most, right? Feel free to download, click below, and don't forget to share your picture when you're using it.

Speaking of "phrases", maybe you have read it all over the net about JCP's slogan on girl t-shirt. No, I'm not going to moan or rant all over the blog for it, but I would like to share my "if" quote now. I grew up with lots of boys around me, 1 big brother and 2 boy cousins who always hang around the house and I call brothers as well. IF my mom had bought me that JCP t shirt and I had worn it, I would not have lived by now. :) Share your thoughts about the t shirt here! I'm in the mood for lending my ears!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Don't you just love the versatility of paper doilies? They can decorate your party walls as well as inviting your guests. These will help spruce up your party : doily wreath US$40 from myhaleygirl and DIY invitation from bijouxbride.

Doilies can be displayed in every mood, from helplessly romantic to curiously standout. I'm obsessed with this valentine ready doily bloomers set from myhaleygirl, US$50 a set, and illustrated doily from daresong, US$45.

Even though store bought doilies are ridiculously cheap it doesn't mean you can't make doilies on your own. Only a regular hole puncher and pieces of papers needed. Get the tute here from Lorajean.